Latest Area News Headlines

WORTHINGTON – There’s a new manikin in town, and this guy is no dummy. He blinks, groans, talks, has a pulse and when the occasion calls for it, even throws up. Surprisingly, that’s a good thing.

The SimMan Essential is a wireless patient simulator that the nursing program instructors at Minnesota West Community & Technical College Worthington Campus are learning to use so they will be prepared when the students start school in four weeks. The manikin, which costs about $60,000 was purchased with funds contributed by the Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation, Minnesota...

RUSHMORE – Kimberly Zwart, age 49, of Chatfield, was seriously injured when her 1983 Honda motorcycle hit a deer on Interstate 90 Wednesday evening. According to the Minnesota state Patrol, Zwart was westbound on I-90 near milepost 32 between Rushmore and Adrian at approximately 10:45 p.m. when the deer crossed the highway and the motorcycle collided with the animal.

The Nobles County Sheriff’s Office, Rushmore Fire, Adrian Ambulance and Worthington Ambulance assisted at the scene.

WORTHINGTON – Motorists on Oxford Street will no longer need to stop at the intersection with Omaha Avenue after Aug. 13. However, cross traffic, or motorists on Omaha Avenue, will need to comply with a stop sign before entering the intersection when it is clear.

The evaluation and potential removal of the signal is to improve traffic flow and safety. Current and forecasted traffic at the intersection is not high enough to warrant the signal that has been in place since 1981.

Replacing the signal with a two-way stop is expected to reduce the frequency and severity of...

WORTHINGTON – Seven people were recognized by Police Chief Troy Appel Monday night during the Worthington City Council meeting – three were presented with Worthington Police Department Citizen Awards and four with Civilian Life Saving Awards.

Chad Nixon was given a Citizen Award for his efforts in helping Officer Jake Walker subdue a wanted felon who had run into the Burger King restaurant on June 26. With a lunch-time crowd standing by, the suspect was able to get to his feet with Walker on his back after the officer had taken him to the ground. Nixon came to Walker’s aid, coming...

11:55 UPDATE
HOLLAND – Pipestone County Sheriff Keith Vreeman identified the pilot of the airplane that crashed in rural Holland as Steven Christensen, age 59, of rural Pipestone. The two passengers aboard the plane were Marcos Favela, age 18, of Torreon, Mexico, and a 13-year-old female from Guadalajara, Mexico. All three were killed when the plane crashed Monday evening in Grange Township.

The small fixed-wing aircraft went down in a field south of Holland, 10 miles northeast of Pipestone, according to information released by the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office. Reports...

MOUNTAIN LAKE – The names of two people killed in a two-vehicle crash in Cottonwood County over the weekend were released Monday by the Minnesota State Patrol.

According to the report, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, driven by 21-year-old Brian Hagberg of Sanborn, was eastbound on Highway 30 when it collided with a 2000 Volkswagen Passat traveling southbound on Cottonwood County Road 1. The crash happened just after 4 p.m.

The driver of the Passat, 54-year-old Prakasith Souksavath of Jackson, was killed in the crash, as was one of his passengers, Keo Kaysonphet, age 47, of...

MOUNTAIN LAKE – Two people were killed Sunday afternoon when two vehicles crashed in Mountain Lake. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, driven by 21-year-old Brian Hagberg of Sanborn, was eastbound on Highway 30 when it collided with a 2000 Volkswagen Passat traveling southbound on Cottonwood County Road 1. The driver of the Passat was killed, as was a passenger. Both passengers of the Passat, from Bloomington, were seriously injured. Hagberg received non-life threatening injuries.

WORTHINGTON – All across the nation, neighbors and law enforcement will join together on August 4 and get to know each other a little better during Night to Unite, an evening designated to heightening awareness of crime and drug prevention efforts and strengthening police and community partnerships.

From 5 to 7 p.m. on that Tuesday evening at Pioneer Village, the Worthington Police Department will host a local Night to Unite event that is free and open to the public. There will be food, a bouncy house, face painting by the Southwest Crisis Center, lots of door prizes, free children’...

WORTHINGTON – Jim and Iris Pierce of Worthington on Thursday received their check for $500 from Brian Pellowski of PBK Investments. The money was their prize for being the ones to come up with the new name for the old mall area.

Instead of forever being referred to as the old Northland Mall, the new complex, which will include retail stores, housing, restaurants and green space, will be called Promenade on Oxford. Pellowski, who is developing the property, put up the money for the contest, which had quite a few entries.

WORTHINGTON – According to Carl Nagel, co-director of the Worthington Christian Church Food Shelf, the hours of the food shelf are changing as of August 1 in order to better serve their clientele.

The food shelf will now be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m., and on the first and third Sunday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.

WORTHINGTON - Traffic lane and signal light changes are scheduled to begin today at the intersection of Oxford Street and Humiston Avenue, according to the City of Worthington Engineering Department. The intersection will be open to traffic...